How Students Will Benefit from Excelsior’s Graduate Certificate in Cannabis Control
The cannabis industry is a diverse place with lots of job opportunities for professionals, ranging from compliance and certification officers, risk management professionals, strategists, accountants, laboratory testers, plant growers, packagers, marketers, executives, and administrative professionals. Once an illicit industry run by cartels, the U.S. cannabis industry today is an established green market that resembles many mainstream industries.
Because of the size of this industry niche, there is a massive need for educated professionals to fill these positions, but many lack the professional skills or education required to be hired. While some are choosing to start at the counter as budtenders and work their way up, that’s not always an option for those who have already started their careers and can’t afford to take entry-level positions or are looking for ways to transfer their existing professional skills.
Recognizing the need for professional certification and a leg up on the competition, Excelsior College is one of the first academic institutions in the country to offer a professional certification that can be earned online, allowing folks from all across the country to participate.
Our Graduate Certificate in Cannabis Control
Excelsior College’s Graduate Certificate in Cannabis Control will educate anyone interested in entering or securing their place in the cannabis industry on the opportunities, challenges, and complexities of the cannabis industry and its accompanying regulations.
Students will develop critical thinking skills and deepen their knowledge base to understand the impact of cannabis legalization in our communities, states, and nation, enabling professionals entering the market to keep pace in this fast-changing environment. With a unique interdisciplinary approach, combined with years of experience, Excelsior College is well-positioned to train students on how to converse with policymakers, industry leaders, proprietors, and other stakeholders across the many professions that the cannabis industry touches.
Digital Education to Train Cannabis Industry Professionals
Excelsior offers this certificate as a fully online program that includes three graduate interdisciplinary courses focusing on policy, risk assessment, and commerce. The certificate can be earned in as few as six months and is an excellent specialization for students already pursuing a business, health sciences, or public service degree.
Excelsior College Cannabis Courses
The cannabis control certificate program is taught by industry experts and designed around a career-focused compliance and regulatory framework. The three courses in the cannabis program include:
CBC 600 Implications of Legalization of Cannabis: Policy and Compliance
In this course, students will consider the impact of legalization on various institutions, entities, and individuals, and address aspects including safety, testing/regulation, marketing, dilemmas between policy and legal regimes they live in, and budgetary implications.
CBC 601 Interstate/International Commerce: Policy and Regulatory Environment
In this course, students will analyze the complexities of interstate/international commerce and explore the differences in regulations at the federal and state levels, as well as the different regulatory environments across states. Specific focus will be on issues related to cybersecurity, supply chain management, and inventory control, and their implications for business organizations that might operate across markets with varying regulatory environments.
CBC 602 Risk Assessment in Cannabis Control
In this course, students will learn about risk assessment in cannabis control and gain skills necessary to evaluate risks in the field related to: cultivation, harvesting, genetic testing, containment, water supply, pests, cybersecurity, grants, product safety labeling, and workplace testing/safety. Students will discuss harm reduction strategies when moving from an unregulated to a regulated market. They will also learn to conduct risk assessments in their communities.
Excelsior College is one of the longest-running distance education providers in the United States and has nearly two decades of experience in online education and almost 50 years of helping students earn their degrees. This Graduate Certificate in Cannabis Control offers students a unique opportunity to propel their careers forward in one of the newest markets in the country, with wide potential. With the need for increased education and professionalization of the industry, students will acquire the tools necessary to secure and expand their careers. Visit our program page and contact us today to get started.
